Barbara Dellenback

Morning Edition Host

Barbara Dellenback began her experience with radio journalism when she stopped at a pay phone and called KLCC in Eugene to ask if they needed a volunteer. She soon became the substitute Morning Edition host and then the permanent host. She has worked the morning radio shift at KLCC, KUGN, KPNW, KAVE, and KINK.

Barbara took a 13-year break from radio to work with non-profit organizations as an Executive Director and Development Director. Then she got a call from JPR to be the local host for Morning Edition, and jumped at the chance to share her mornings with the region.

A Medford native, Barbara is happy to be back in the Rogue Valley. When she is not reading newspapers (before they’re gone forever) or books, she is knitting, swimming, walking, or laughing. She and her fretted-instrument-teacher husband, Dave Ouellette, have two sons living in Eugene.

Persuaded by a man's argument that his campsite was his home, the Oregon Court of Appeals has reversed his conviction for illegally carrying a concealed weapon.

The Oregonian reports that the appeals court held that 66-year-old David Wolf was entitled to tell jurors at his trial that Oregon law makes an exception to carrying a concealed weapon without a permit if a person is in his or her place of residence.

December has been one of the driest months ever recorded in California, which is spurring some cities and counties in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region to issue water conservation orders earlier than usual.

The Sacramento Bee reports that the city of Folsom has already imposed a mandatory 20-percent water conservation order, while Sacramento County has asked residents in unincorporated areas to reduce water use by 20 percent.

The East Oregonian reports the group is seeking a jury trial on accusations that tour operators were negligent. The lawsuit also accuses Oregon and the state Transportation Department for failing to make an icy stretch of the interstate safe, and failing to erect barriers to keep the bus from going over a cliff.

With its troubled health insurance exchange portal still not working, Cover Oregon officials say they have suspended its optimistic, feel-good advertising campaign after spending more than $8 million on it this year.

Cover Oregon official Michael Cox said Thursday that television, radio, and newspaper ads should no longer be running, while the "Long Live Oregonians" billboards will come down as payment expires.

The exchange has had to rely exclusively on paper applications and had to hire more than 400 workers to process them.

Oregon was the top moving destination for 2013, with 63 percent of interstate moves inbound. Oregon had been runner-up for four straight years.

In the new study by United Van Lines, the nation's largest household moving company, Oregon was followed by the Carolinas. South Carolina had the second-highest percentage of inbound moves, then North Carolina. South Dakota was fourth and the District of Columbia fifth.

At the other end, New Jersey repeated as the state with the highest percentage of outbound moves, followed by Illinois, New York, West Virginia, and Connecticut.

The campaign to privatize the liquor business in Oregon is getting started.

The Oregonian newspaper reports Oregonians for Competition, a political action committee tied to the Northwest Grocery Association, has already spent $30,000 on consultants.

It reported campaign expenditures last week of $15,000 each to Winner & Mandabach Campaigns and to the Silver Bullet company. Silver Bullet collects signatures for ballot initiatives. Winner & Mandabach worked on the campaign to defeat proposed labels for genetically modified food.

Federal regulators say Oregon is not doing enough to protect water and fish from pollution generated by logging on private lands, stormwater run-off from construction sites, and septic tanks.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said yesterday they plan to reject portions of Oregon's program for limiting coastal pollution from non-point sources.

A man has been arrested for arson for starting two small fires that joined and erupted into the fatal Clover Fire in Northern California in September.

Zane Wallace Peterson was arrested Tuesday on several charges, including suspicion of murder, arson on forest lands, and arson causing great bodily injury, according to Scott McLean, a fire captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Oregon's health insurance exchange, and insurance carriers, are looking at extending deadlines to allow more people to get health coverage starting January 1.

Cover Oregon Acting Director Bruce Goldberg said Thursday that he's working with carriers and state regulators to push back the December 15 deadline for people to select a plan after the state has informed them of their options.

With the Oregon Department of Agriculture supervising negotiations, the sides agreed to a minimum price of $2.65 per pound, a 35-cent increase from a year ago, and the highest price ever agreed upon for an opening.

Officials at the Oregon Health Authority will have to decide soon whether medical marijuana cardholders should be allowed to use the drug at dispensaries that will become legal next year under a new state law.

An advisory committee discussed that topic and others at its final meeting yesterday. The state expects to finalize dispensary regulations by next month. They'll take effect in March.

California's deadline to cut its prison population has been extended until April 18th.

A panel of federal judges previously had moved the deadline to February while a court-appointed mediator works to find a long-term solution with Governor Jerry Brown's administration and attorneys representing inmates.